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OUTLINES 



OF 



Auction Bridge 

BKING A CONCISK STATKMKNT OF 

THE RULES OF THE GAME 

TOGKTHKR WITH 

An elucidation of the essential points a Bridge 
player must know in order to play 

AUCTION 



BY 

CHARLES STUART STREET 

It 

Author of Concise Whist," "Whist Up-to-Date," 
' ' Bridge Up-to-Date, " " Sixty Bridge Hands, ' ' 
and "Good Bridge." 

NKW YORK 

1909 



Copyright, 1909 

BY 

CHARI.KS STUART STREET 



Introduction 



In the following- few pages I have tried to 
show the Bridge player what he must know 
in order to play Auction. Realizing the pain- 
ful fact that there are many who wish to 
learn, and few students, I have outlined in 
this brief manual a system of play wdiich has 
been tested and found satisfactory. 

CharIvKS Stuart Strkkt. 



OuTiviNKs OF Auction Bridgk 

will be mailed on receipt 
of price, 75 cents. 

ADDRESS 

CharIvKs Stuart Street 

240 Bast 51st St., N.Y. 



The Rules of Auction 



In addition to the generally known rules of 
Bridge the following rules govern the play of 
Auction : 



1. The value of the tricks is the same as in 
Bridge, but no one can ever score towards the 
game except the declarant, and he only when 
he fulfills his contract. The opponents can 
never score except in the honor column. 

2. The winners of the rubber add 250 
points in the honor column. 

3. The dealer must declare to win at least 
the odd trick in a trump suit or at No-trumps: 
he cannot pass the bid. 

4. After the original declaration, each play- 
er in turn has the right to pass, to double or 



6 



AUCTION BRIDGK 



redouble, or to make a higher bid than the 
previous one. Thus, one odd in Clubs out- 
ranks one in Spades, and one in No-trumps is 
higher than one in Hearts. Also, the player 
who undertakes to win two odd in Diamonds 
is making a higher bid than the one who ven- 
tures one in Hearts, because the two in 
Diamonds equal 12 as against 8 for the one 
trick in Hearts. So also a bid of two in 
Diamonds outranks one in No-trumps because, 
while each bid equals 12, the one who de- 
clares to take the greater number of tricks is 
considered the higher bidder. 

5. A player alwa^^s may bid higher than 
the previous bid, even if it is his partner's, 
but cannot raise his own bid after the other 
three players have passed. 

6. The final declarant (whether doubled 
or not) plays the dummy except that when a 
player has raised his partner's bid in the 
same suit, the original declarant of that suit 
is the one who plays the dummy. 

7. When he fulfills his contract, the de- 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



7 



clarant scores towards the game all the tricks 
he wins, whether exactly the number he 
undertakes to make, or more. 

8. When the declarant fails to fulfill his 
contract neither vSide can score anything to- 
wards the game but the adversaries score 50 
points in the honor column for each trick 
that the declarant misses ; this penalty is in- 
creased to 100 points for each trick if the de- 
clarant has been doubled, and 200 if either he 
or his partner has redoubled. 

9. On a declaration of one spade, whether 
doubled or not, the declarant's loss is limited 
to 100 points, regardless of the number of 
tricks the adversaries take. 

10. If a player declares out of turn, the 
player on his left may let the declaration stand, 
whereupon the bidding continues ; or he may 
demand a new deal. 

11. If a player in his declaration fails to 
call a sufficient number of tricks to outbid the 
previous call, he is forced to increase his bid 



8 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



to the proper number and his partner is de- 
barred from any further declaration unless 
the adversaries make some other bid, or 
double. 

12. A player is always entitled during the 
play of the hand to know what was the value 
of the final declaration, but if any player in- 
forms his partner in regard to a previous call, 
the opponents may demand a new deal. 

13. Doubling and redoubling affect the 
trick value in the score when the declarant 
fulfills his contract, but do not change the 
value of the tricks in bidding : one Heart 
still outbids a doubled Diamond. 

14. A declaration can be doubled and re- 
doubled, but that is all. A pla^^er cannot 
double his partner's call nor redouble when 
his partner has doubled. But when his part- 
ner's call has been doubled by the opponent, 
he can redouble. 

15. A double is considered as a continua- 
tion of the bidding and allows further declara- 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



9 



tions to be made. It is only after three play" 
ers in succession have passed that the bidding 
is ended. 

16. If a player whose declaration has been 
doubled fulfills his contract, he scores not 
only his doubled trick score but also 50 points 
in the honor column for fulfilling his contract 
and 50 points more for each trick over. If he 
or his partner has redoubled he scores in the 
same way 100 points instead of 50. 

17. If a player doubles out of turn his left 
hand opponent may demand a new deal. 

18. If either of the declarant's opponents 
leads out of turn, the declarant may consider 
the card led as an exposed card or may call a 
lead from either adversary when it is his turn 
to lead. 

19. There is no penalty for a lead out of 
turn on the part of the declarant. 

20. When the declarant revokes, the adver- 
saries score 150 points in their honor column 
in addition to the penalty the declarant has 



10 AUCTION BRIDGE 



incurred if he has failed to fulfill his contract. 
Having" revoked he can score nothing in the 
trick column but is entitled to honors or 
chicane. 

21. When either adversary revokes the de- 
clarant may score 150 points in the honor col- 
umn or take 3 tricks from them, which tricks 
may be counted by him towards fulfilling his 
contract but carry no bonus in the honor col- 
umn if the declaration has been doubled. 



AUCTION BRIDGK 



11 



The Value of the Declaration 



There are five channels of profit in Auction, 
five things to play for. 



1. To win any game but especially 
the rubber. 

As the object of any game must be to win it, it is 
wise to declare and to play with that end in view and 
with the score constantly in mind. 

2. To outbid the adversaries when 
short of the suit they are bidding in 
even if you cannot go game on your 
bid. 

For example, should they bid two on Hearts when 
you are short in Hearts but have a very long and 
strong Club suit, you should bid four in Clubs, not 
with the idea of going far in Clubs but of preventing 



12 AUCTION BRIDGE 



them perhaps from winning the game. Here you are 
not playing so much to win yourself as to keep them 
from winning. 

3. To score in the honor column by 
beating their make. 

When holding good cards in their suit and having 
no great strength of your own, it is better not to 
play for merely a trick or two, but to try to beat them. 

4. To score in the honor column by 
doubling the opponents' make. 

Often, as when the score demands that they shall 
try to go out or prevent you from going out, you can 
outbid them and so drive them on to declare beyond 
their strength, when you can double and beat them. 
But unless they are out anyway on their declaration it 
is always dangerous to double and perhaps lose the 
game. 

5. To prevent the adversaries from 
going out by outbidding their make 
even when expecting to lose. 

Late in the rubber game it is wise to try to secure 
the play of the dummy hand. You will then keep 
the adversaries from going out although you may lose 
in the honor column. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 13 



The Original Declaration 



As dealer you should declare as follows : 

1 Spadk with a hand below the average, con- 
taining not more than three tricks, and 
with no future declaration ever to come 
out of it. This bid your partner 7nust 
not molest unless he has a really strong 
hand. 

1 CivUB with a long and strong suit of Clubs 
and but little else. 

1 Diamond with either a long, strong suit of 
Diamonds and little else, or a badly 
balanced hand which is good if Dia- 
monds are trumps, but is not of much 
assistance to a Heart make or a No- 
trump . 



14 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



1 Hkart with a long, strong suit of Hearts 
and little else, or with a good Heart 
hand which may go game and is not 
suited to change to a No-trumper. 

1 No-trump with any good No-trump hand 

holding three or two Aces. Any one- 
Ace No-trumper is dangerous and 
should not be declared unless the hand 
is otherwise very strong. Such a de- 
claration of 1 No-trump is best when 
the hand must be either a No-trump or 
a black make. It is usually unwise 
where there is any choice between a 
No-trumper and a red make. 

2 Spadks with a generally good hand con- 

taining four or more tricks, regardless 
entirely of what is held in Spades. 
Such a hand should be better than the 
average, could probably support any 
declaration from partner, and might it- 
self become a red make or a No-trump 
according to your partner's declaration. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 15 



This is a most important and informa- 
tory declaration, and unless the second 
player has made some bid your partner 
mtist increase your bid so as to give 
you another chance. 

When you are the original declarant you 
must also bear in mind that in addition to the 
above you can always declare any suit 
when the state of the score is such that you 
think you can go out. 



16 AUCTION BRIDGE 



The Second Player's Declaration 



When you are the second player you usually 
pass the bid, but you declare in the following 
cases : 

1. When you have a hand worth trying for 
the game in. 

2. When one spade has been declared and 
you have any good make. If you do not 
declare now you may never have another 
chance. 

3. When you have a very long and strong 
suit without much else. 

4. When you can double the first declara- 
tion, especially when 1 Spade has been 
declared and you have Ace and King of 
Spades, although short in the suit. 

You, as second player, must be chary 
about declaring 1 No-trump when short of 
any suit like Clubs, Diamonds or Hearts de- 
clared originally, as that must be long, and 
lies strongly against 3^ou. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 17 



The Third Player's Declaration. 



When your partner has bid 1 Spade you 
must not increase that bid unless holding a 
hand stronger than the average good hand, or 
one in which you think you will lose less than 
100 points, as that is the maximum loss at 
1 Spade whether doubled or not. 

When your partner has bid 2 Spades you 
must make some higher bid unless second 
hand has declared, in which case you bid 
higher only when you have some really strong 
suit of your own. 

You must remember that in making some 
higher bid to take your partner out of his 2 
Spade make, it is better to show a short Ace- 
King suit, than a much longer suit headed 
by the Queen. The Ace-King suit means 



18 AUCTION BRIDGE 



two tricks probably at any declaration, but the 
Queen suit is of value only if it remains the 
trump. Holding a bad hand or a long: Spade 
suit, you can bid 3 Spades which bid your 
partner can change to suit his hand. 

With 2 Aces, or 1 Ace and two other suits 
protected, or 1 Ace and a strong suit, you can 
declare 1 No-trump at once. 

Upon your partner's declaration of 1 No- 
trump if you have a long and strong red suit, 
wnthout much else, it w^ould probably be better 
to change to that. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



19 



The Fourth Player's Declaration 



When you are the fourth player you have 
heard more evidence than anyone else before 
you come to your declaration , and your course 
of action is determined by what the others 
have done. After an initial 1 Spade bid if 
the others have passed you must choose to 
win on some declaration of your own or to try 
to beat the adversaries' make, perhaps even 
doubling it. But you must remember that 
doubling re-opens the bidding and allows the 
dealer or his partner to change to another 
suit. You yourself should not declare unless 
you have a really good make or some very 
strong suit. Also after an initial 1 Spade, if 
your partner has doubled, or declared some 
suit, you can credit him with taking cards 
and perhaps change to a No-trump. Again, 
after an initial 1 Spade bid if your partner has 



20 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



passed and the third player has declared some 
suit, thereby showing a hand stronger than 
usual, you, as fourth player, must give due 
weight to that fact before launching a more 
expensive make. For it must be remembered 
that the initial 1 Spade does not necessarily 
mean a worthless hand; there ma}^ be three 
tricks in it or even an Ace and a King. 

After an initial 2 Spade declaration if part- 
ner has passed and the third player has in- 
creased the bid, you, as fourth player, must 
have a hand stronger than the average to bid 
at all, as strength lies on both sides of you. 
But if the third player has bid 3 Spades you 
have a right to credit your partner with some 
strength in the red suits. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 21 



Continuation of the Bidding 



When the bidding comes around again 
you, as the original declarant, unless the 
other three players have passed, have a right 
to make a second bid. After your initial 
1 Spade bid has been raised by your partner, 
who in turn has been outbid by the adver- 
saries, you should increase your partner's bid 
only when you can supply two tricks or are 
short of the suit the adversaries have declared. 

When your initial bid was 2 Spades and 
your partner has lifted you out with some red 
make which suits your hand, you should let 
it stand, but if you have only one or none of 
that suit, it may be better to change to a No- 
trump. If you have three fair suits and he 
bids in the fourth, or if you are very strong 
in two suits and he bids on a third, it is prob- 
ably a No-trump. If, however, your partner 
bids three spades, he is either long in Spades 
or has a poor hand. After such a bid by him 
unless the adversary has declared, you should 



22 AUCTION BRIDGE 



try to change your bid even to a doubtful No- 
trump. You must remember it is better to 
try for seven tricks in No-trumps than nine in 
Spades, as you are confronting a fixed loss of 
50 points a trick for each trick you fail to get, 
whether it is Spades or No-trumps. 

After the first round of the declaration each 
player must be keenly alert to collate, weigh, 
record and remember every item of informa- 
tion, no matter how slight, that can be gleaned 
from every previous player's action. Only 
with such absolute knowledge, together with 
an exact realization of the state of the score, 
can he decide whether to venture a higher 
bid, to double, or to pass. 

Late in the rubber game it often pa^^s to de- 
clare beyond the strength of your hand and 
secure the bid even if you lose in the honor 
column, as in that way the opponents cannot 
go out, and you have another chance for the 
rubber. But it is unwise to carry such play 
to extremes, as your loss may become so great 
that the winning of the rubber later will fail 
to reimburse you. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 23 



Doubling 



In Auction, doubling simply means that you 
wager that the declarant will not fulfill his 
contract. If he undertakes to get 3 odd in 
Hearts and you double him, it does not mean 
that you expect to win the odd, as in Bridge. 
If he gets 2 odd you win your 100 in the 
honor column and he can score nothing. 
Therefore, upon a bid of 4 or 3 tricks from 
the adversary, you frequently can double, 
although very short in trumps, if you have 
enough outside tricks to count. 



24 AUCTION BRIDGE 



Suggestions for Doubling 



You can double an original 1 Spade bid if 
you hold Ace and King of Spades and want to 
encourage your partner to make it No-trumps. 

Do not be in a hurry to double any other 1 
trick made. It alarms the opponents and al- 
lows them to change to another suit. If you 
wait and double a 2 trick or 3 trick declara- 
tion, any change they may make is likely to 
prove equally expensive. 

Do not double when your double, if it loses, 
will help the adversaries to win the game. 
For example, to double a 1 Heart make when 
the opponents are 16 is bad, but you can 
double a 2 Heart make if your hand warrants 
it, as they are out anyway, if they win, with- 
out your double. 

Remember that doubling never can help 
your trick score, but can help that of the ad- 
versaries. You can win only in the honor 
column but they can go out. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 25 



The Opening Lead 



In No Trumps. 

If your partner has declared in some suit 
and you have no good lead of your own you 
should lead his suit to him, usually the top 
of it. 

Avoid leading any suit the adversaries have 
declared in unless you are strong in it. 

If your partner has doubled a No-trump, 
having previously declared in some suit, lead 
him your best card of that suit, not a Heart. 
If he has shown no suit, lead him a Heart, 
unless the adversaries have declared in Hearts. 



26 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



In Declared Trump. 

As in Bridge any suit headed by two cards 
in sequence is usually a good lead ; so also is 
a short suit when not holding four trumps. 

It is better to hold Aces in reserve. 

Avoid leading an3^ suit the adversaries have 
declared in unless you are short in it or are 
leading through strength on your left. 

The best way to help your partner when he 
has doubled a declared trump make is by 
leading an Ace-King suit or a singleton. 
He rarely wants a trump lead from you. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



27 



Discard 



Discard as in Bridge, a low card meaning: 
usually that you do not want the suit, and a 
card higher than the 6 that you may, and 
probably do want it. 

A high discard early in the hand usually 
means that you are strong in that suit and 
either wish to show it at once or have to dis- 
card that way to protect other cards. lyate 
in the hand a high discard simply means pro- 
tection to aid your partner in his discard. 



28 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



Final Hints 



Always use the same expressions in your 
bidding. Merely say "l No-trump," or '^2 
Hearts," ''l double" or ''l pass." Avoid 
any form which would imply doubt or hesita- 
tation, such as ''l think I'll double." 

In all bidding remember that Aces and 
Kings are the cards of permanent value in the 
shifting scene of the makes. You have a 
right to count on your partner for at least one 
good card in any suit that he bids on. 

Remenlber the importance of fulfilling your 
contract. When you can do that, don't 
finesse or try for one trick more unless an 
extra trick is needed for the game. 

In all declaring and doubling consider care- 
fully from which hand the lead will come. 
This often makes an enormous difference in 
the hand. 



AUCTION BRIDGE 29 



Realize that Auction is not Poker and that 
blufl&ng in your declaration is likely to prove 
a boomerang. Any false step on your part may 
lure your partner to hazard a fatal move. 

Be conservative at first until you have 
settled in your mind the values of the differ- 
ent declarations. 

Don't become excited and play an emotional 
game. The player who is sanguine, reckless, 
obstinate, or careless will be a sure loser at 
Auction . 

Remember that the state of the score is the 
compass by which you steer your game. 
Watch it every instant: it should guide you 
in each move that you make. 



DEC 22 19C9 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



029 604 586 Ai 



